FA Cup: Chelsea Look to Bounce Back, Manchester Duo Face Difficult Choices Ahead of City Derby

• The fifth round of the 2023/24 FA Cup will see some key moments take place across the eight fixtures
• Chelsea will look to bounce back after their defeat against Liverpool when they take on Leeds United
• The Manchester derby is coming up, and both United and City will look to avoid injuries before the game

The Carabao Cup is done and dusted, and now all eyes turn to the FA Cup.

The fifth round of fixtures takes centre stage, with some of England's big sides still in the running to be crowned champions of football's oldest competition.

With Coventry City and Maidstone United kicking off the action in round five, Sports Brief looks at five things to look out for ahead of this round's fixtures.

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Maidstone chase history

Non-league side Maidstone are looking to make further history when they take on Coventry.

The club have never made it to the fifth round before, but they are chasing a much more significant achievement.

In the past 109 years, only one non-league side has reached the tournament's quarter-finals. That feat was achieved by Lincoln City in the 2016-17 season when they progressed to the last eight but were beaten by Arsenal 5-0.

The FA Cup has a reputation for serving up upsets, and this year could be no different.

UPDATE: Maidstone's fairytale run was ended by Coventry in the fifth round, as they were beaten 5-0. Despite the scoreline, the non-league side were still proud of their achievements in the tournament.

Manchester sides face a tricky choice

Manchester's two big sides are still in the competition but face a tough choice.

The two sides will meet in the Manchester Derby on Sunday, March 3, but first have to go through FA Cup fixtures against fellow Premier League sides.

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City will take on Luton Town, while United will play Nottingham Forest.

With both sides hoping to avoid any injuries ahead of the derby, all eyes will be on the teamsheets to see how many fringe players feature or whether both teams go all out.

Chelsea to bounce back against Leeds United

Following their defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final, Chelsea will be looking to turn their season around with a good showing in the other cup competition.

With Mauricio Pochettino's side languishing in 11th in the Premier League, the FA Cup represents their last chance for silverware this season.

The Blues won't have it easy as they take on Leeds United in the next round.

The Elland Road team are second in the EFL Championship and have only lost six games in the Championship this season. Chelsea have lost 10 in the Premier League alone.

A battle for the Golden Boot

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The two leaders of the race for the Golden Boot are still in the competition.

Blackburn Rovers' Sammie Szmodics and Brighton & Hove Albion's João Pedro are both on five goals each and could add to that tally in their respective games. Both players have only played two games so far.

Rovers will take on Newcastle United, while Brighton travel to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Liverpool's injury crisis continues

The next stop on Liverpool's quest for a quadruple sees them face Southampton in the fifth round.

While the club are still buzzing from their Carabao Cup win, the issue of injuries still paints a gloomy picture for them.

With Ryan Gravenberch being stretchered off during the game and Wataru Endo spotted leaving the stadium on crutches, Jürgen Klopp's men are short of first-team stars.

Virgil van Dijk, Alex MacAllister, Luis Diaz, Harvey Elliot and Ibrahima Konate are also expected to be rested for the fixture after the shifts they put in during the final.

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Chelsea troll Tottenham after FA Cup win

Sports Brief also reported how Chelsea aimed a jibe at Tottenham Hotspur after their victory in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The Blues breezed past Aston Villa in their replay, beating them 3-1 thanks to goals from Conor Gallagher, Nicolas Jackson, and Enzo Fernandez.

After the game, Chelsea's admin trolled their London rivals, Spurs, who were dumped out of the cup by Manchester United.